cookstoveshttps://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/taxonomy/term/4626/all
enOn Black Smoke, Asthma and Those Rising Global Temperatureshttps://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/black-smoke-asthma-and-those-rising-global-temperatures
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<img alt=" Simone D. McCourtie/World Bank" src="https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/files/climatechange/Nepal_Street_Traffic.png" style="height:268px; width:460px" /><br /><br />
I am an asthmatic. Walking or biking behind a black-smoke-belching truck makes me choke, I mean <em>really</em> choke. I am sure it sounds familiar to other asthmatics or to those who have friends with respiratory problems.</p>
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The World Health Organization <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46276&amp;Cr=cancer&amp;Cr1=#.UnPAjdL_mPp" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">last month classified outdoor air pollution</a> as a leading carcinogen. It particularly singled out particulate matter – the stuff that makes up the black smoke from those diesel trucks – as a carcinogen for humans.</p>
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On the heels of that news came word from China that <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/21/us-china-smog-idUSBRE99K02Z20131021" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">record-air pollution levels</a> nearly shut down one of northeastern China's largest cities, Harbin, forcing schools to suspend classes, snarling traffic and closing the city airport. An index measuring particulate matter reached a reading of 1,000 in some parts of the city, home to some 11 million people. A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the WHO recommends a daily level of no more than 20.</p>
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Imagine the fate of my fellow sufferers, the asthmatics. Needless to say there was surge of hospital emergency room visits in Harbin on October 21.</p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:09:00 +0000Sameer Akbar890 at https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechangeTime to clear the smokehttps://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/time-clear-smoke
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<p>In many parts of the world, a picture of a woman sitting in front of a smoky cookstove preparing a family meal remains an iconic picture of life today. For many families, the three- stone fire or a traditional stove as a cooking device has not changed over centuries. &nbsp;This need not be the case, and in a growing number of nations, that traditional pattern is changing.</p>
<p>Serious research on improved cookstoves dates back to the 1950s. However, large-scale field programs focused largely on the inefficiency of designs.&nbsp;While the stoves may appear simple, the socio-cultural systems in which they operate, and their impacts on so many aspects of household and regional health and economics, is far from simple.&nbsp;Many approaches have been tried, with some successes and many failures.</p>
<p>Over the last few years, a more complete view of the full human and environmental health impacts of indoor air pollution and the global impact of the fuel and stove cycle has emerged. Poorly managed fuel systems encourage use of unsustainably harvested fuel such as charcoal produced from illegal and ecologically damaging informal production network.</p>
<p>The <A href="http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/cookstoves-report">World Bank </A>is looking at opportunities to improve not only cookstoves themselves, but also the full stove fuel cycle as a way to address energy poverty, human health, and the global greenhouse gas problem.&nbsp;I was delighted to see a new publication that looks at this nexus between health, environment and GHG benefits called <I><A href="http://climatechange.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/documents/Household%20Cookstoves-web.pdf">Household Cookstoves, Environment, Health, and Climate Change: A New Look at an Old Problem</A></I>. This report takes stock of existing knowledge on the subject and points out new opportunities by identifying `game-changers’ in the stove technology and fuels. </div></div></div>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:33:39 +0000Daniel Kammen788 at https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange